Adventures in Argentina

We just thought this was cool, turns out, it's not

2009-04-17T18:13:00.003-03:00

Perito Moreno breaks in winter for the first time ever. We saw pictures of the collapse when we were there, and thought wow, this must have been amazing to see! I'm sure it was, but it might be indicative of our climate's scary future...It is still one of the only 3 glaciers in Patagonia that is not receding, however.

Back in the States

2009-02-12T16:12:00.001-02:00

I hope everyone that followed our blog enjoyed it. We landed back in Denver after a long night/day of flying over multiple countries. It's good to be back, other than the fact that it's colder than a witch's tata- well compared to the southern hemisphere this time of year. Our last week and a half was spent back in Buenos Aires, where we managed to eat a record number of ham and cheese sandwiches, medialunas, and one last alfajor. First thing I ate when I got back to CO was my favorite Qdoba naked vegetarian burrito, sans the sour cream and cheese. You really can't have enough burritos in your diet, I'm just saying...

Feels good to be home

I never want to see (let alone eat) another

2009-01-31T00:29:00.003-02:00

Pizza, empanada, slice of ham or any variation: miga, tostado, ham and cheese croissant- while I'm on ham, meat of any kind, while I'm on croissants, croissant- alfajor, smidgen of dulce de leche, slice of bland quiche, boiled egg, or anything that has "beef fat" as an ingredient.

I plan to live on a steady diet of fresh vegetables (squash not included for the time being), ethnic food (Middle-Eastern, Thai, and Indian), the salad bar at Whole Foods, and fruit when we get back. And a nice cold Izze to wash it all down.

Punta Tombo - More Pinguino Pictures!

2009-01-30T21:45:00.004-02:00

More Penguins and a Guanaco (llama relative) at Punta Tombo in Patagonia. Original post here.

Iguazu Falls - More Pictures

2009-01-30T21:34:00.003-02:00

Just a few more of the many pictures we got at Iguazu Falls in December. The original post is here.

Mendoza

2009-01-16T15:53:00.012-02:00

We're deep in wine country now, and back in the hot summer weather. Supposed to be 36 degrees C today, ouch. Mendoza is located right in the desert, but you wouldn't know it by all the trees and the giant park. Thanks to a complex irrigation system devised by the indigenous Huarpe people that runs throughout the entire city, Mendoza looks like it gets rain, when in fact, less than 200 mm falls per year.

Yesterday we rented bikes in Maipu, a town just a short bus ride south of Mendoza, and did a self-guided tour of the wineries in the area. It was fun, but sooooo hot. Couldn't tote any cases of wine back on the bikes, but I seriously considered trying.

On the way back, we had to take 2 different buses. The first one, from Coquimbito to Maipu, went fine (well, except the bus overheated and we had to transfer), but then we got on the wrong "9" bus, and ended up going all the way to the bus terminal, into the center of Mendoza, and started heading towards Godoy Cruz (far from where we were staying). Ended up getting off at a Walmart (joy!), and had to pay for a cab back to the hotel. The ordeal took probably 3 hours when it should have only taken 1. Sadly, this sort of thing happens to us all the time, so we weren't too surprised, even though we were just as pissed as usual.

Woop!

2009-01-16T15:48:00.002-02:00

I'm an aunt! Wish I had pics to post! Mom, have Zach upload some and email them to me!!

Hooray for Bariloche!

2009-01-10T23:30:00.012-02:00

Moon rising

We have arrived in the Lakes District in Argentina. It's so nice to be back in a larger city. The beautiful surroundings are an added perk. There are so many things to do here- hiking, biking, and rafting, to name a few. After we left our hostel in the city, we headed up closer to Nahuel Huapi National Park, and are staying in Green House Hostel. By far my most favorite place so far (and most expensive, of course). The atmosphere is super laid-back, and even though it is at full capacity, it doesn't seem to get crowded. Feels more like a home than a hostel.

A few days ago we took a chairlift up to Cerro Campanario, where they boast having one of the top 10 best views on the planet. I couldn't argue with that- it was absolutely gorgeous in all directions.

On 1/10 we took a canopy tour through the forest, which was very cool. It is probably the last of the tour-type things we'll be able to afford to do, at 160 pesos per person.

Yesterday we made some mistakes in our planning, and ended up taking a 2 hour hike up Cerro Catedral ski area along a mountain biking trail. No fun to hike in the hot sun, on a very dusty road, with flies relentlessly harassing you. Not recommended- take the gondola up before beginning the real hike. We were exhausted and annoyed by the time we reached the top. wish we could've seen more, but what can you do?

Taking in the full moon view over the lake

El Chalten 1.1.09

2009-01-06T13:09:00.013-02:00

The next day we travelled 3 hours to El Chalten, a tiny town nestled in the mountains, just below Cerro Fitz Roy. Spent 4 nights there, and took some fantastic hikes. The weather was unpredictable as usual- constant wind, some days sunny, others cloudy and spitting rain.

Cerro Fitz Roy

Laguna Capri

On the trail to Laguna Torre

Playing catch-up, once again

2009-01-06T12:13:00.013-02:00

It's been a very busy couple of weeks, and our connection to the real world limited. Patagonia is so vast, so remote...and so inconvenient sometimes. But each place we go to amazes me more than the last. Some of the things I've seen down here are so incredibly unique and beautiful- I almost can't believe places like this exist on our planet. But before I get into all that, let me explain what I mean about inconvenient...

Left Ushuaia on December 30. Another 12-hour bus ride lay ahead, but I wasn't too bothered, since the trip down went smoothly. My optimistic attitude was soon crushed, as border crossings took three times longer than before. But the worst came when we reached the Strait of Magellan, where a ferry was supposed to be waiting. Driver told us it would be a bit of a wait, and that we could get off the bus and stretch our legs...hours later, we were still there, no ferry in sight. Winds were too strong, they told us. We had to wait until they died down.

7 hours later, after numerous circuits through the over-crowded cafe (the only thing around), the bathroom, back on the bus, and the shore, we FINALLY got on the ferry. It was about 11:45pm when we arrived in Rio Gallegos. Having missed our connection (8:30pm) to El Calafate, we were lucky enough to catch another that left at 12:30am, but had to pay for new tickets. 4 hours later, we arrived in Calafate. Went to bed at 5:30am December 31st.

Luckily that is all behind us, but my New Years resolution was to make the next long journey by plane, despite the ridiculous cost ($500 USD for 1.5 hour flight).

Spent a day at Moreno Glacier, one of the few glaciers that is still advancing, despite climate shifts and global warming. I have never seen such forces of nature on display. My pictures don't do it justice.

We took a shuttle with Cal-Tur up to the park, didn't do the tour. Cost was 80 pesos each r/t, plus 40 pesos per person for park entry. That's about 35 USD each.

Each time a piece of the wall broke off, it rumbled like thunder as it crashed into the water.

Just to get an idea of the scale, the walls of the glacier were incredibly tall.

p.s.

2008-12-28T19:45:00.003-02:00

Don't forget to look at my flickr for all the pics from the trip, if you've got time- like when you're bored at work (Sonya, Mike- haha). Link on the right

Punta Tombo - Penguin Colony

2008-12-28T19:02:00.007-02:00

One of the coolest things we've done so far is a drive down to Punta Tombo, the second largest penguin colony in the world (other than in Antarctica). We met a couple (Carrie and Hugh) on the bus to Puerto Madryn a few days prior, and ended hanging out with them a lot the next few days. They were very cool, and had been living in Buenos Aires for a few years. It was fortuitous running into them because they had similar sightseeing plans, and they are fluent in Spanish. We split the cost of a car rental, and took the little VW Golf on the 90 minute drive from Puerto Madryn south to Punta Tombo.

The colony is home to thousands of Magellanic penguins. You follow a path right through their hilly nest sites. Penguins are walking all over the place (yield to all penguins and keep your distance!) and standing guard over their nests, little burrows under the Patagonian bushes, where the babies and juveniles are concealed. I think the baby penguins had mostly hatched 2 or 3 months earlier. The path leads to a beach where they hang out and go fishing. There is a rocky outcropping where you can look at them from above, waddling in and out of the ocean, and zipping around underwater as if they are flying.

The whole experience was very cool, and I'm glad we got a chance to do it. On the drive back, we even spotted a Rhea from the car. It is a large flightless bird like an ostrich.

Puerto Madryn and Peninsula Valdes

2008-12-26T20:45:00.006-02:00

This part of our trip was super cool, definitely one of the highlights. Spent the first night in Puerto Madryn, despite our plans to make it into Puerto Piramides on the peninsula. By the time we got there (18 hours on the bus, our longest yet), the once-a-day bus to the peninsula had already left, and because of a taxi driver shooting the night before, all drivers were on strike (we were told this type of violence in Puerto Madryn is very rare). Luckily, a couple from Boston we had met on the bus gave us the name of a hostel they were going to stay in. It ended up being the nicest hostel we had ever stayed in, and for 40 pesos each (less than 12 dollars), was a steal, especially since no one else ended up staying in our dorm.

Caught the bus to Puerto Piramides the next morning, and managed to get on an afternoon whale watching tour. Guess what we saw on the tour? NO WHALES. Yeah, since the season had ended 2 weeks earlier, we were planning not to take it, but had heard from a few people that they had seen whales just the day before. Huge bummer, but we saw some sea lions at least. The tour guides felt bad, so they gave us a discount on the land tour, which we did the next day. Upon later research, I found out that during high season, some 600 whales come to the bay to have their babies. Pretty cool.

Puerto Piramides from the hill

The land tour was great. We went in a shuttle up to Punta Norte, where we saw sea lions and elephant seals, then down to Punta Delgada for more, plus magellanic penguins. We also saw guanacos (ancestors to llamas, and wild) grazing on the land, and sheep, which are farmed for their wool and meat (ew). The shuttle took us back to Puerto Madryn. We met up with our new friends, Carrie and Hugh (aforementioned couple from Boston who were also on our tours) and had a few beers. We decided to rent a car together to save some money, and drive to Punta Tombo the next day. Hugh and Carrie have been living in Buenos Aires for a few years, and speak fluent Spanish (huge help when trying to make reservations over the phone).

Mar del Plata

2008-12-26T20:27:00.004-02:00

This is a restaurant on a ship in the harbor (huge neon signs at night scare me).

A cool city on the coast, and just a 5-hour bus ride from Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata is a big summertime destination for locals. We stayed for 2 nights, but unfortunately the weather wasn't cooperating, so we didn't get to spend any time on the beach. It was probably for the best though, because the sun down here is very potent. Extranjeros from Los Estados Unidos + Argentine sun = big time sunburn factor.

Instead, we walked along the coastline, admiring the surfers and checking out the flea market.

Ahoy!

2008-12-26T19:15:00.006-02:00

Hola chicos, que tal?! Sorry it has been so long since an update, we've been on the move pretty much steadily since December 12th.

So much to write, where to begin? I'll just summarize who/what/where/why/how, since a detailed blog would fill many pages.

After Iguazu, we headed south to Mar del Plata. Before I get to that though, here are a few photos of some random things:

Lorena, our Spanish tutor

Lorena's business card. It looks just like her :P

Protesting in Buenos Aires (pretty much an everyday event)

Will do separate blog for the next portion of the trip..check our previous Iguazu Falls post for some pics.

Life on a Bus

2008-12-19T22:36:00.006-02:00

We made it to Puerto Madryn today from Mar del Plata. It was supposed to be a 15 hour overnight ride, but it ended up being 20 hours altogether! The ride included too-narrow highways, chicken dinner, a little nausea, sweets for breakfast, and a stop with the military drug enforcement police, who apparently found a box with marijuana in the storage area of our bus, which delayed us about 40 minutes. Needless to say, that was a bit much for us, so we took it easy today and found a nice hostel to relax in. We will be venturing out to the Peninsula Valdes tomorrow, right nearby. It is a big wildlife preserve where we hope to spot some penguins, sea lions, and a whale if we're really lucky (whale watching season just ended). More pictures coming soon, we promise!

Things that are huge in Argentina (besides the obvious steak)

2008-12-18T17:43:00.006-02:00

Medialunas- little croissants, thinner and drier than in the U.S.
Migas- sandwiches that have no crust and are very thin, like they were pressed flat
Alfajores- pastries you can find EVERYWHERE, either in bakeries or individually packaged. Yummy and very bad for me
Milanesas- breaded meat, I think baked. Like a chicken-fried steak, but thinner and crispier (I haven't eaten it though)
Quilmes by the liter- awesome and cheap (update: not so awesome)
Stray dogs wandering the streets or sleeping on the sidewalks- I'm very concerned about their hydration levels. Not a food but who said this was only food-related? :P
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Dulce de Leche- similar in texture to soft caramel, and on or inside pretty much everything sweet. Extremely delicious and addictive.

Will add more later

Iguazu

2008-12-15T11:08:00.003-02:00

Just in case you were wondering, we spent the last 2 nights in Puerto Iguazu, and visited Iguazu Falls. We got lots of good pictures, so we will post them when we get some decent wi-fi access. Until then, we will be departing today for Mar del Plata, which means about 20 hours (or more) of bus travel. So long for now!

Back on the bus!

2008-12-15T11:02:00.005-02:00

Mark and I just spent 2 nights in Puerto Iguazu, just outside of Iguazu Falls National Park: The bus ride from B.A. to here was nearly 17 hours, but since we were riding first class it was very comfortable. The seats fully recline, and the leg rest lays parallel to the ground, transforming into a bed. I managed to sleep off and on for about 8 hours overnight, which was nice. The food wasn't too bad either- hot vegetarian dinner, and a small, albeit junk foody, breakfast. Our hostel is only 2 blocks from the bus station, so we didn't have to schlep our bags too far.

Anyway, the first night here we were lucky enough to catch the last full moon tour of the falls in December. It was incredible! First we caught the local bus into the park (less than 4 dollars round trip), then walked in the dark with our group to a narrow guage train that took us to the catwalks leading to the largest of the falls, la Garganta del Diablo. The walk was pretty creepy, but very cool, lit up by just the barely rising moon. By the time we crossed over the giant Iguazu River (which is the natural border between Argentina and Brazil), we finally reached the falls.

This flower only opens at night

The sight was breathtakingly beautiful. Because the moon was just rising, it was very large and orange, and it shone on the falls so that I almost couldn't believe what I saw. Actually, it was quite scary to stand on the catwalks because they extended all the way to where the water begins to plummet. And the spray from the bottom was so powerful that it reached well above the falls into the sky. Amazing. I didn't get any pictures, unfortunately, because there just wasn't enough light for my little digi. You'll just have to go to see it for yourself.

Standing over the falls in the moonlight (scary)

The next day we went back to the park to see the falls in the light of day. It was hot and insanely humid, and we hiked all over for a good 6 hours, before heading out to the Diablo for another look. We spent only about 10 minutes out at the falls before the dark clouds and powerful wind forced us to head back. We didn't make it to the train before it began to pour, soaking us from head to toe. We didn't even have time to put our ponchos on :P The day was amazing and exhausting, leaving us little energy to even eat dinner before we crashed for the night.

Coati meandering through the park

Looming clouds that brought torrential rain

Today we're getting back on the bus, another long one, through B.A., to Mar del Plata.

San Telmo Street Fair

2008-12-11T00:37:00.003-02:00

Every Sunday. Antiques, trinkets, souvenirs, whatnot.

On the way to the store...

2008-12-09T00:17:00.001-02:00

Lovely Weather

2008-12-06T19:31:00.006-02:00

Yesterday we wandered around Puerto Madero and the park there. We saw the Puente de la Mujer bridge and these pretty green birds in the park.

Since we have seen most of the city sights by this point, and we are trying to save money for the rest of the trip, we haven't been doing too much exciting stuff. We are taking the opportunity to plan out our next stops and take some Spanish lessons. We have had 3 sessions so far with our tutor Lorena, and I feel like I'm learning a lot. I have a long way to go, but things are sinking in more and more. Our next few stops will be Iguazu Falls, Mar del Plata, Puerto Madryn and Peninsula Valdes. We will be taking lots of pictures. I'm excited to see more of Argentina, especially some nature! Stay tuned...

Jardin Zoologico

2008-12-06T19:06:00.008-02:00

OK, so we went here over 2 weeks ago, but we have not posted pictures yet, so here are a few. The rest can be seen on our flickr of course (link on the sidebar on the right).
These little rabbit-deer guys were roaming free in the zoo. They're called Patagonian Maras.

The video below is of a small jungle cat in her cage. It was the most beautiful animal I saw there. It was tiny like a kitten, but I think it is full grown. There was no sign identifying what type of cat it was, so I don't know. It was a little sad seeing it in a small cage because it was so interesting and exotic. It had big gorgeous eyes.

Boca Juniors 2 - Racing Club 1

2008-12-01T10:39:00.009-02:00

Last night's game was insane. We took a cab down to the La Bombonera about an hour and a half before the start, and made our way into the stadium. Were disappointed when we found out our tickets really were in the Racing Club's fan section, but excited that the tickets actually worked, so it was okay.

Once we entered the stadium (after various pat-downs and ticket checks) the stench of urine filled the air. Two dudes were peeing on the wall in the corridor (out of disrespect for Boca, I'm assuming), and there were puddles of pee everywhere. We cautiously tip-toed up the many flights of stairs all the way to the very top level (through an inch or two-deep giant urine puddle ugh) and out into the bleachers. Decided to sit in the middle-ish of the section, thinking it would be a good place. We wondered why most people were sitting on the ends, but decided to stay there anyway. Soon found out that various flags go from the fence up front all the way up to the top of the stadium, cutting right into our line of vision, so we moved down and over a bit. That was when the drummers showed up, parked it right next to us, and began the 2 hours of drumming that made up the backbone of the songs and chants. Moved again, this time way over to the right, where we found a decent place to stand for the rest of the game.

It was crazy- the crowd didn't stop singing, not even through the intermission, and no one sat at all. In fact, there was no place to sit if you wanted to see the game. But that was fine, because you would probably get trampled if you sat, especially when Racing scored. Mark and I clung to each other as the crowd swayed and cheers rumbled through the stadium. People were using my shoulders to hold on to while jumping up and down. And it was true what they say about the stadium- you can feel it move when the crowd gets excited. Which is pretty much the entire game.

Did I mention I was somewhat terrified the entire time of what might happen? I'm sure I would have had a complete anxiety attack had it not been for the constant cloud of mota smoke above our heads (and probably in my lungs). I'm sure I got a contact high. I have never seen so much public weed smoking in my life, except maybe 4/20 on Farrand Field in Boulder during college :P

Anyway, to make a long story short, it was amazing and chaotic and scary and exhiliarating all at the same time. And honestly, I never felt like I was in any real danger, just worried I would get knocked down a couple of tiers, which never happened. We left before the game ended so we could avoid the massive crowds (and to have room to carefully navigate through the urine that now covered the entire corridor and steps). Caught a cab back home, put my shoes in a contained place, and showered fervently.

Here is a video of the highlights (I didn't bring my cam in). You can see where we sat when Racing scores and they show the fan section:

If you ever get a chance to see a game at La Bombonera, take it.

La Boca

2008-11-30T12:57:00.004-02:00

These are all pictures from our visit to the Boca area of BA a couple weeks ago, including La Bombonera, the stadium we'll be at tonight for Boca Juniors vs Racing. Below are El Caminito (the colorful buildings), a big park statue, and the bay.

Speaking of tropical storms

2008-11-30T10:11:00.003-02:00

It has been rainy the past few days here- a welcome change to the hot days earlier in the week. But when it rains, it pours, that's for sure. This video doesn't really capture just how hard it was coming down yesterday. Mark and I went to pick up our laundry half a block away, and despite the umbrella over our heads, we were soaked almost instantly. I hope tonight's Boca Juniors game isn't rainy...

There was another blackout last night, right near us. We went to Mito's to see some live music, but the entire block was dark, and people were hanging out outside waiting for the power to come back. It never did, but we found a nice glittering bar next door in which to enjoy a Quilmes (tea lights are key).

Boca Juniors v Racing

2008-11-29T14:10:00.003-02:00

Well, we just went down to the stadium for the second time this week to try and buy tickets to tomorrow's game. All ticket windows appeared to be closed (again), but a scalper got our attention, and we ended up buying 2 tickets for about $33 dollars each, which isn't bad...as long as they aren't counterfeit...also, we have really no clue what to expect once inside the stadium, but from what little research I've done, it looks like our seats are in the general admission section. Apparently it can get pretty crazy- people generally don't sit down at all during the game, except at halftime. Also, we may have bought tickets in the visiting team's fan section, but I can't find any info on that online. All I know is, we'll be wearing very neutral colors, and I won't be bringing my bag into the stadium. Just me, a few pesos for cab fare and concessions, and my ticket.

Wish us luck!

A glimpse into the stadium:

Our (hopefully real) tickets:

Brownout in Buenos Aires

2008-11-28T20:46:00.005-02:00

Today Mark and I went to Jumbo, which is like the Walmart of Buenos Aires (except without the huge discounts). We thought maybe we could find some cheap clothing for the Patagonia leg of our trip. Decided to grab a bite in one of their cafes before shopping. We noticed that about half of the lights were off in the store, and one of the cafes had a sign saying something along the lines of having a limited selection due to no electricity. Also noticed how hot it was in there. Like, really hot..and muggy. I probably would have just left, but we had already ordered, and needed to buy some stuff, so we stayed. UGH. I was just sitting there, feeling like I was going to faint, when some people in the store started clapping. Weird, kinda like at Chile's when it's someone's birthday. Except they were protesting the power outage that had cut the A/C. I don't think it worked, because the only cool place was in the frozen foods isle. We made our purchases in a hurry and got out of there.

After doing some research, it seems that these brownouts, temporary power outages in random barrios at random times, occur when there is an energy shortage in the city. Apparently this happens from time to time. The weather was nice today, cooler than it had been the past few days. Cloudy and humid from the storm last night (btw, the storms here are pretty crazy, similar to the tropical storms in Florida, very windy and rainy). Maybe they decided to cut the power while the temperatures were down. Who knows, but I'm sure this won't be the last time we experience the fun of temporary power outages in Buenos Aires :P

On a sidenote, Jumbo had some interesting stuff, like this pasta department.

P.S. Yesterday I saw a woman breastfeeding while walking on the subte platform. Like, full-on, boob out in the open, like it was nothing. Is that normal down here? :/

2008-11-28T10:35:00.006-02:00

Hello everyone- it's been a bit since I got a chance to update. Been busy planning for when we leave Buenos Aires. So far, it's been slow going, trying to research transport/accommodations, because all useful websites are entirely in Spanish, and most of them don't have an English translation link.

After checking out of our apartment in exactly two weeks, we'll head to the bus station in Retiro, which is easily accessible via the C line on the Subte (subway). We're catching the 7:40pm bus through a company called Via Bariloche, heading to Iguazu Falls. The bus ride is 15 hours (ack!), but we booked super camas (tutto letto), which are fully reclinable seats. Plus, a vegetarian dinner, and a movie. I think it'll be okay, as long as I find a book for the trip. We'll arrive at 11am or so, and go check in to our hostel, Aguara House. Spending the day in Puerto Iguazu, then taking a bus/taxi up to the falls the next day. Back to the hotel, then the long journey back into the city, where we'll catch another bus south to Mar del Plata. Thus will begin our adventure into the vast expanse of Patagonia.

A few days ago I stumbled across info about a burrito restaurant in microcentro. Apparently it was opened by some expats from Cali...Well, obvious we had to go there immediately. I miss Qdoba and just Mexican food in general, so I was pretty happy about this little find. And it didn't disappoint. Could've used to some Cholula on it though! ;)

There was a snowboard video on the TV too, so we felt right at home.

Minnie likey.

Also, last night we were at a bar and a group of Jagermeister girls came in with free shots...made me think of you, Sonya- lol :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T10:53:00.002-02:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all our family and friends back home! We wish we could be home for the holidays with you, but we'll survive.

Floralis Generica

2008-11-23T22:09:00.003-02:00

This is the giant flower sculpture called Floralis Generica. It has only been in Buenos Aires since 2002, but it is a must on the tourist circuit, I assume. Apparently, the flower closes at night and reopens every morning!

Jardin Japones

2008-11-23T00:41:00.005-02:00

Just a few of our pictures from the Japanese Garden yesterday. Check out our flickr for more.

Vegetarian living...

2008-11-22T12:43:00.006-02:00

Yeah that's not happening very well down here. Yesterday we finally found a vegetarian restaurant though, not too far from our place- just a hop, skip, and a subway ride away. The food was interesting- definitely needed some spice. That's the thing that is missing in la comida down here: SPICE! haha. I would kill for some sri racha, cholula, and tapatio. You'd think since we're in South America things would be a little more flavorful...I mean, hello, sabor latino??? ha. Maybe that's just Mexico though. At any rate, we both had some version of what I call pumpkin vegetable lasagna. I should have taken a picture of it. Mine was filled with squash, then topped with cheese and covered in pumpkin sauce, while Mark's was basically a broccoli casserole topped with a thick layer of pumpkin, then smothered in pumpkin sauce. They love their calabaza down here (pumpkin, in case you didn't catch that). It's in all of their tarts, which are basically the same thing as quiche. Tasted pretty good though, and was certainly a nice change to the usual miga, capresse sandwich, pizza, or whatever jamon y queso concoction out of the 15 on the menu we accidentally order.

It's amazing how long I can talk about food. But really, isn't that the biggest part of travel, the food? You gotta eat, and you hope what you're eating is recognizable at the very least :P

Spring in Buenos Aires...

2008-11-21T09:29:00.004-02:00

...can be confusing. Kind of reminds me of Colorado- ever changing. I've found myself bringing my jacket along when we go out, because it can get chilly in the shade, and there is usually a gentle cool breeze meandering through the streets of the city. But sometimes it can be fairly hot too. Over all, I love the weather here so far. Not too hot, not too humid. In fact, I haven't even noticed the humidity. That said, it's only spring. First day of summer is December 21st.

Zooooooooo

2008-11-18T11:13:00.004-02:00

We're going to the zoo today!

Mark started a list of things that are a challenge down here. I'll add to that list:

finding an atm, changing $100 peso billetes
talking to people in Spanish (haha, that was an obvious one)
walking down the sidewalk without stepping on dog poo
crossing streets without getting hit by a bus
they don't eat tortilla chips down here, so Mark hasn't been able to have his daily dose of chips and salsa (also, salsa means sauce down here..as in, pizza sauce)

There are not stoplights or signs except at major intersections. People just drive out into the intersection and I guess hope there aren't any cars coming from the other direction. I've seen a few close calls. Buses appear to speed up when they near an intersection, or when they see people crossing the street it seems :P Also, riding in a taxi is a death wish. Our driver nearly killed us every five seconds on the way to our apartment the day we arrived. I thought the driving was bad in Mexico/Europe. This takes the cake.

Our apartment is in a very cool location, but there is the very annoying problem of construction down below us. Also, there has been a mysterious hammering sound coming from the rooftop area the past 2 days.

Palermo is definitely my favorite barrio so far, even though I really like San Telmo (where our apartment is). Will post more later!

Barrios

2008-11-17T20:10:00.004-02:00

Just a quick update! We've been exploring the ciudad everyday and so far we've been to the barrios of Palermo, La Boca, Puerto Madero, and maybe a few others that we did not realize we were in. Of course, we've also spent a lot of time in San Telmo, which is where our apartment is (the building is pictured here). I like our neighborhood, and I'm glad we're here, even though there's a lot of road construction happening around our building. We wake up every day to the sound of a jackhammer 6 floors below. But I'm glad we're not in a busier area; we have seen some very crazy streets.

It has been interesting riding the subte (BA's subway system) around town. The first time we got on it was rush hour, and we had to cram into the subway car like sardines. Luckily its not always that full, and it is actually pretty easy to navigate. Admittedly, Minnie does most of the navigating, but the subway is one thing I understand. It only costs about 25 cents each ride, so its a great way to get around the city quickly.

Some of the challenges so far have been:

finding vegetarian meals
understanding the locals
finding street signs
reading menus

But we are figuring things out just fine. I am hoping to get a spanish tutor or take some classes soon. I am picking things up, but I would do better if I had somebody to answer my questions. Well, we are about to go buy some empanadas for dinner, so ttyl!
-Mark

Guide to San Telmo

2008-11-16T23:45:00.003-02:00

For future reference, this is a link to an online guide called Welcome San Telmo. It has maps, descriptions in English, and pictures. It helped us find Gibraltar last night.

necesitamos una farmacia por favor

2008-11-16T20:12:00.005-02:00

Mark caught a cold, so he's napping atm. My allergies are acting up- it is spring down here, afterall. Otherwise, everything has been fantastic! Yesterday we meandered through La Boca, stopping to see the Boca Juniors futbol stadium, and of course, the caminito. As we made our way back, we noticed that the streets were eerily quiet, and that most of the restaurants and stores were closed. I guess when there is a soccer game on, the whole city pauses to watch. I wish it was like this in the US!

Last night we went to a pub about a block from our apartment, called Gibraltar. Apparently it is a popular bar for expats and locals who like to hang out with expats. Things don't really get going around here until 11pm and even later, so by the time we made it to the next bar it was 1am or so. There was a live band that played the Blues. How weird it was to hear Blues in Buenos Aires. They were good though.

Wheeeeee!

2008-11-14T21:24:00.004-02:00

Yesterday we went ziplining in the park :P

All of our pics will be posted on my flickr page, btw. Check it out

Me gusta cafe

2008-11-14T20:50:00.003-02:00

Just having a little coffee at a restaurante in Palermo, a very cool district of Buenos Aires we explored today. I love the way they serve coffee here; espresso in a little cup, and it usually comes with a shot of orange juice, sparkling water, and sometimes a little pastry. All for 4 pesos or less; about US$1.21! We also had the helado almendrado (almond ice cream) pictured below. Very tasty.

Sidenote: my worst nightmare

2008-11-13T11:43:00.004-02:00

Was reading a book and the atlas moth was mentioned- upon google search, here is what I found. EEEEEEEEK!

Thank god they don't live down here!

We made it!

2008-11-12T19:50:00.005-02:00

After over a day of travel, we finally arrived in Buenos Aires earlier today. The trip was pretty grueling- delays due to weather really screwed things up. It was a really long time to be sitting on a plane. Anyhoo, we are here in our apartment now, and it is fabulous! Here are some pics of the place:

We went out to explore and find a market and something to eat. Ended up in a little place where we ordered (gasp!) dos sanwiches con jamon y queso. It was a pretty delicious and guilt-inducing meal. :P

Buenos Aires is a fascinating and beautiful city. Can't wait to see all that it has to offer! For now, it's time to shower and chill out for a while. Jet lag argh!

Our New Football Team

2008-11-04T01:26:00.003-02:00

We'll always be Rapids fans, but once we get to our neighborhood of San Telmo in Buenos Aires, we will have to find a temporary team to support. The choices in BA include Independiente, Racing, San Lorenzo, and of course the two giants: River Plate and Boca Juniors. According to my initial research, it looks like San Telmo is closer to the Boca area than anything else, so it looks like I might come home with a blue-and-yellow Boca Juniors jersey. I read that Boca fans are considered more working-class, as opposed to the northern River Plate fans, so Boca sounds more appealing to me anyway.

Will be up and running in 2 weeks-ish!

2008-10-28T20:41:00.001-02:00

Please come back in 2 weeks-ish. Mark and I will be in Buenos Aires at that time (November 12th, 2008).

Wish us un buen viaje!